of photographs and dragons
by imagined-experiences
Summary: Gabrielle is the last person Dennis expects to see here, in Romania chasing dragons. Originally written for the collaboration fic The Beginning Of Love.


_A special thanks to my betareader Never-Ending nights with you. This was originally written for The **Hogwarts Online** Forum (awesome) collaboration fic: The Beginning Of Love. So you maybe have already read it. _

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**Of Photographs and Dragons**

Dennis is surprised to see her here; she surely doesn't look like the other dragon trainers in apprenticeship. He remembers when he first saw her fifteen years ago: he was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Colin. She was sitting with her sister, the Beaux-Bâtons champion. She was younger than him, but still she impressed him with her gracious maintaining. At the time, he was too young to understand the attraction, the allurement; she was just a really pretty girl. But now he understands it, and he feels his feet guiding him toward her. Perhaps it because she's the only person that seems friendly enough in that foreign country.

"Hi," he simply says.

"Hi," she answers smiling, vaguely looking at him. She's probably used to all those strangers who want to engage in a conversation with her.

He doesn't know what to say, he just wants to speak with her and before he can find something to add, she exclaims:

"I remember you! You took a picture of Fleur and me at Hogwarts. I don't know how I remember that, it was years ago."

She's talking about Colin.

"It was my brother actually, Colin Creevey. I'm Dennis," he informs her.

The name probably rings a bell to her. A sad expression crosses her charming features. The "Harry Potter: Seven Years of Friendship and Memories — photographs by Colin Creevey" book is quite famous in the Wizarding World.

"Oh. You did a very good work with that book. I'm sure your brother would have appreciated it," she says awkwardly. She remembers him being the Hogwarts photographer, but she hadn't made the connection between the face and the name. He can tell she's slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sure he would," he starts but he's stopped by Professor Weasley, who indicates them it's the beginning of the classes.

He gives them a presentation speech about dragon taming, but Dennis doesn't listen: he's only here to take photos for his new book. So he watches her and tries to remember her name. It's something pretty he's sure, but he can't find it. He watches her intensely and doesn't hear Charlie snapping him from his reverie:

"Mr Creevey, even if you're just here for your photograph reportage, it would be nice to listen to the security guidance."

"Yes, sorry," he replies but keep looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Soon it's the end of the classes and everyone is invited to the tamers tent to have some lunch. He can tell he's not the only one attracted to the girl. He catches her name when she introduces herself to one of the students. Gabrielle. He knew her name was pretty. He takes note that her name is pronounced Gah-bree-hell and not Gay-bree-ill.

She's eating with the only other girl of the program, an impressively muscular, Asian girl. A Rumanian bloke and a handsome Australian sit with the two girls, without asking permission. He passes by them and she waves at him to sit with there. He joins.

She seems at ease speaking with people, he's not. He speaks the minimum, only when asked.

The Rumanian guy speaks French fluently, apparently, and holds her in a conversation that lasts the rest of the meal. He stands and goes for the next introduction class.

"Dennis." He hears, and recognizes Gabrielle calling him and with her thick accent it sounds like Dun-hee. He stops and waits for her.

"Gabrielle," he says slowly trying to avoid his British accent. She laughs.

"You almost managed it, Dennis. But don't bother, I'm probably killing English pronunciation as much as Kyle is killing French. And the accent is quite charming, in fact."

They walk toward her next classes: introduction to the dragons. He's finally going to work a little.

He takes off the material and installs it while the professor is introducing them to Gilea, a Ukrainian Ironbelly female.

He studies the different students, all seem thrilled. And all have the stature you could expect for a dragon keeper: strong and enduring. All except Gabrielle. She's delicate, not fragile but delicate. He wonders why she chose that path, it's hard and dangerous. But then he sees the sparkles in her eyes and the attention she gives to the animal. The way she takes notes without leaving the eyes off Gilea. He can see passion in her eyes.

He takes some good pictures of the beast and Charlie during the afternoon; the students haven't the right to approach it yet.

At the end of the day, he returns to the inn he's staying without talking more to Gabrielle.

The next day is sunny and the light is perfect for the photos he wants to take. He knows today is going to be a good day.

When he goes to the common room of the inn, Gabrielle is already eating breakfast. She waves at him, pecks him on both cheeks. He's surprised by it at first, and he hopes the warm greeting is just for him. But then he remembers it's the usual greeting in France.

"How are you?" she casually asks.

"Good, today seems to be good for photos, and you?" he politely demands.

"Excited, today's the first contact with the animal."

"A little nervous maybe?"

"Not at all! I've been waiting it for fifteen years!" she exclaims.

"Fifteen years, it was the TriWizard Tournment, wasn't it?"

"Since I saw my sister and the other champions affront the dragons, I've been impassioned by them. I really want to work with them—" She's interrupted by Kyle:

"Girls like you aren't strong enough to fight dragons."

"I don't think the purpose of a dragon tamer is to fight dragons, but more to take care of them," Dennis answers.

"And being a girl is not a handicap," Gabrielle adds before leaving the table.

Dennis follows promptly after. He sees her outside the dragon's pen.

"You're thirteen minutes early," he says and sees that her face is red with anger.

"You know, it is because of blokes like him that I wanted to do a dangerous job," she answers ignoring is remark.

"Because I'm a girl, half-veela they expect me to be charming and sweet. They can't see past my charms, I need to prove myself each time I start something new. No one takes me seriously," she rants.

"To be honest, I wanted to ask you why you chose that path. You don't seem to fit the standards of a dragon keeper. But then, I saw you looking at the dragon and I understood you are just doing something you love. Kyle surely haven't understood it yet."

"And I don't think he'll ever understand. Thanks, Dennis." She smiles at him.

He talks to her about the picture he took yesterday and she wants to see them after the class.

Charlie arrives soon and interrupts their discussion. And they go to see the dragons.

Two weeks pass and it's the same routine. Every morning Dennis follows the student to the fence and takes photos. The afternoon, he spends it with Gabrielle and sometimes Lana, John and Robert join. But it's mostly the two of them and pictures and discussions.

Soon, the allurement he felt for her is replaced with admiration. He admires her strength and her diplomacy with people. He admires how she takes care of the animals, and he's proud when Charlie says she's the best of his students, leaving Kyle red with anger.

He laughs with her later in the afternoon remembering the scenery. She laughs hard, unladylike and he takes a picture of her because she's just beautiful, and not only because her looks.

She stops laughing when she sees the flash and asks him:

"Why was that picture for? Not for your Giant Animals Reportage, I hope."

"Yes, between the Giant Squid and the dragons," he jokes. And she laughs even more.

"You're beautiful when you laugh," he says.

"Only when I laugh?" she teases him.

"Yes." He enters in her teasing game. "Only when you laugh."

"I'll laugh more often then," she says seriously. Because of her sentence he grabs all his Gryffindor courage and he kisses her.

She wraps her arms around him, and he knows he is falling in love.


End file.
